Jam-packed traffic as holidaymakers streaming out of capital to celebrate Songkran

All highways and motorways bound for the North, Northeast, East and South were jam-packed with vehicles as holiday makers started to return homes to celebrate the upcoming Songkran festival, and to meet their families as it is also the Thai traditional New Year.

All homebound traffic on the Eastern, Western ring roads, Bangkok- Chonburi motorway, Phaholyothin, Asia, Phetkasem and Mitraparb or Friendship highways were reported by Highway police to be heavily jammed due to huge pressures of vehicles streaming out of the capital.

Highway police said heavily jammed traffic are reported at two toll gates on the Eastern ring road, Thanyaburi and Thap Charng where vehicles lining up for several kilometres to pass the toll gates.

Although tolls are exempted during the week-long festival, traffic passing each toll gate was reported at snail speed.

The heaviest traffic jam was reported on the Friendship Highway to the Northeast, particularly at Kaeng Koi, Muak Lek, Pak Chong, and Lamtakong.

Highway police have to arrange reversible lane on the inbound traffic to ease congestion for outbound traffic, but still traffic remain at low speed due to huge numbers of vehicles.

Meanwhile holidaymakers also thronged bus terminal and Bangkok railway station for homes in the provinces.

Although extra buses and trains are added, it seemed still insufficient to meet passengers’ demand.

All stations were jam-packed with passengers hoping to get their seats.

Meanwhile transport officials and police are also deployed to monitor taxis and motorcycle taxis to prevent them from overcharging passengers coming to bus terminal to catch buses homes.

Any taxi driver found to overcharge may face revocation of public driving licence.

Land authorities also warned of drunk driving.

Any driver caught for drunk driving will have the vehicle impounded immediately and driver put in jail.

Meanwhile traffic in Bangkok during the Songkran period is expected to be light as almost all businesses will close and over a million people are expected to leave for homes in the provinces.

The Transport Company said it has transported more than 800,000 passengers out of the capital on buses during the past five days of the Songkran holidays.

It said from April 8-12, unofficial figures of passengers leaving for home provinces by public buses stood at over 800,000.

The largest number of passengers leaving on buses were over 200,000 yesterday.

People still coming at its Morchit 2 bus terminal to board buses home today, but not as much as previous days.

Last night more than 200,000 passengers streamed out of the capital by buses, excluding those by private vehicles.

The human exodus caused worst traffic jams at the main ringroads, particularly the Eastern ringroad where vehicles passing the Thanyaburi toll gate queuing up as long as 17 kilometres.

Traffic flow was grounded to snail trail as motorists complaining that they spent up to three hours before they could drive pass the Thanyaburi toll gate from Thap Charng toll gate that covers a distance of 20 kilometres.

Meanwhile traffic on Phaholyothin and Mitraparb highways also was the same as at the Eastern ringroad where the speed was reported to be less than 10 kilometres an hour.

A driver complained with JS Radio that he left Pathumthani at 8 pm last night taking the Paholyothin Highway to Saraburi, but by 7 am today he was still at Bypass Saraburi.

All motorists complained they spent up to 10 hours just to drive pass Saraburi from Bangkok.

However traffic late today has improved slightly as Highway police said vehicles leaving the capital has slowed down, and no more congestion was reported at the Eastern ringroad’s tollgate.